Highlights of the Second Phase of APEC Digital Opportunity Center Initiative, 2011

2011/SOM1/006 Agenda Item: 7

Purpose: Information Submitted by: Chinese Taipei

First Senior Officials’ Meeting Washington, D.C., United States 11-12 March 2011 Executive Summary

The APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) Project is a self-funded multi-year Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) initiative that Chinese Taipei first raised in the 2003 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. It aims to assist in transforming digital divides into digital opportunities throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The first phase of the ADOC project was launched in August 2004 and was concluded at the end of 2008. The second phase ADOC project, ADOC 2.0 project, was proposed during the 2007 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and launched in 2009 by Chinese Taipei. Mexico joined the ADOC 2.0 project in 2009; Russia and Malaysia joined in 2010, bringing the number of APEC partner member economies (PMEs) to 101. In addition to its cooperation with PMEs, the ADOC 2.0 project also collaborates with the private sector, including Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) and Non- Government Organizations (NGOs).

ADOC 2.0 aims to enhance capacity building in information and communication technology (ICT) primarily by assisting women, children and disadvantaged minorities in APEC communities. The training includes not only ICT basic skills but also e-commerce and e-trading practices in order to empower the trainees with the ability to generate income and to improve quality of life. In collaboration with APEC PMEs, 69 ADOC centers have been established, and around 165,000 people have received training from August 2004 to December 2010.

Important work items of the project in 2011 include establishing more training centers, revamping the computers and related equipment in existing ADOC centers, holding the trainer’s training, and organizing “ADOC 2.0 Workshop 2011” in Chinese Taipei around the end of July. This year, more than 50,000 people will be trained.

Required Action/Decision Points It is recommended that Senior Officials: welcome the progress of the Second Phase of the APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC 2.0) Project and encourage the continued cooperation and joint efforts between public and private sectors among concerned economies, to contribute toward the reduction of digital divides in APEC.

1 PMEs include Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

11 Highlights of the Second Phase of APEC Digital Opportunity Center Initiative, 2011

March, 2011 by Chinese Taipei

1. Background

The Asia-Pacific region is the world leader in terms of ICT production and services. The level of each APEC member economy’s ICT development is closely related to its overall competitiveness and has a positive effect in terms of creating job opportunities and realizing inclusive growth and balanced socioeconomic development. According to the EIU’s (Economist Intelligence Unit) 2010 digitalization rankings of 70 economies, five APEC member economies are among the top 10, while ten APEC member economies are ranked 30th or below. This shows that there are still large gaps in the APEC region in terms of digitalization and overall development, and that the work of reducing the digital divide requires long-term efforts.

To meet the challenges of globalization and speed up regional economic growth, the initiative of APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) Project is proposed by Chinese Taipei in the 2003 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. It aimed to assist in transforming digital divides into digital opportunities throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The first phase of the ADOC project was launched in August 2004 and had concluded at the end of 2008. The second phase, ADOC 2.0 project, was proposed during the 2007 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting by Chinese Taipei and began in 2009.

From August 2004 to December 2010, in collaboration with Partner Member Economies (PMEs), 69 ADOC centers in these PMEs were established, and around 165,000 people have received training and benefited from access to digital opportunities to improve their businesses, jobs, studies and their overall quality of life. In particular, the number of female participants in ICT training programs had increased from 16% in 2005 to 49% in 2010.

2. Highlights of ADOC 2.0 Work, 2011

The main objectives of the ADOC 2.0 project are to reduce digital divides and to contribute to inclusive growth in the APEC region. A wide range of ICT training programs are provided and tailored to the needs of the PMEs where the ADOC project has presence. Training programs are designed to focus on benefiting children, women, micro/small business entrepreneurs, people with special needs (hearing and vision impaired), as well as disadvantaged groups in remote areas. Important work items in 2011 include:

(1)Establishing 15 New ADOC Centers and Continuing Training in Existing ADOC Centers

To further improve their training capacity, computers as well as peripheral devices in existing ADOC centers will be revamped. Furthermore, 15 ADOC centers will be set up in PMEs this year. More than 450 computers will be contributed to these newly established and existing ADOC centers. This year, more than 50,000 people will be trained and at least 1/3 of them will be women.

(2) Conducting Trainers’ Training

In 2011, more than 200 local trainers will be trained in several PMEs. Trainers’ Training program will cover a wide variety of subjects including language e-learning, PC Assembly, and E- commerce, and PC Refurbishment. When these trainers complete their study, they work together to compile teaching materials in their local languages and assist in the planning of ICT training courses in their communities.

(3) Hosting ADOC 2.0 Workshop 2011

The ADOC 2.0 Workshop will be held in Chinese Taipei around the end of July. The representatives as well as experts from PMEs and other APEC economies will be invited to share their ideas and experience on how to improve opportunities for these segments of society and to explore the current situation and challenges faced by women, children, and Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by case studies.

22 (4) Organizing ICT Road Shows

ADOC 2.0 ICT Road Shows will be organized in Southeast Asia in June and South America in August to promote trade and to introduce some of the latest ICT developments and technology. Entrepreneurs and organizations from PMEs and Chinese Taipei came together to share new ICT technologies and to explore future business opportunities.

(5) Holding the Blog Contest

The APEC Blog Contest 2011 is a great opportunity for trainees to show the world newly acquired ICT-related skills and to encourage the use of ICT via internet applications. PMEs will be invited to participate in the blog contest starting in June and Economy Champions will be selected before October, giving examples on how ICT is benefiting those who attend the training at the ADOC centers.

3. The Inputs from the Private Sector

One of ADOC 2.0’s key features is its open cooperative platform between the public and private sector. Acer, ASUS, Chunghwa Telecom, and Institute for Information Industry (III) are among the private sector organizations and NGOs that join ADOC’s efforts in bridging the digital divide. The combined efforts created through this public-private partnership benefit the APEC Community by contributing IT hardware, and sponsoring the operation of Mobile Digital Opportunity Centers (MDOCs). ADOC would continue to promote and encourage cooperation between public and private sectors leading toward the reduction of digital divides in APEC community.

The progress achieved so far by the ADOC 2.0 project would not be possible without the commitment and efforts of all the partners. We will continue to work closely with all the PMEs on future work.